Star Wars: Prodigal
by DarthFissure95
Summary: Set to take place before the Mandalorian Wars, a Sith student named Cobra is trained on the planet Zenga by his master Darth Fissure. After a terrible incident, Cobra runs away to find a new life. What he finds is not at all what he had hoped for, and Darth Fissure is hunting him down to bring him back to Zenga.
1. Chapter 1

**The (*) symbol used once signals the start of a new scene while the (*) symbol used TWICE is the end of a scene.**

Chapter One

**4160 B.B.Y**

*Cobra moved with a straight, even flow, his feet propelling from the ground as another vibro blade swung below him. Shirtless, and jumping and somersaulting through the air with a black, simple pair of leggings, Cobra was breezing through his training exercises in the Sith academy on Zenga near the legendary planet of Korriban. As his feet landed once again, his hand shot up and began curling into a fist at another incoming vibroblade that was coming for his chest in a direct path. He could hear the blade pop and crumple before him, and then finally stop. The lights in the large room were out, and there were no windows, so he couldn't see a thing. He relied on the Force to show him where the vibroblades were. He was also trying very hard to listen, hearing the deadly whirring of the blades as they headed for him in all directions, toward almost every part of his body.

Cobra had been taught that in order to use the Force well, he must see what cannot be seen, to be able to rely on the Force to tell him where things were instead of the naked eye. In this exercise, he had been stripped of his lightsaber, in order to practice his use of the Force without anything else. Sweat dripped down his forehead and ran down his neck as he continued his exercise in uninterrupted movement; constantly jumping, flipping, ducking, and rolling from the incoming death.

Finally, he noticed that the noise of the vibroblades had died down to absolute silence. The room was absolutely quiet now except for Cobra's heavy breathing. His throat felt terribly dry and his black hair was a wet mass over his head.

"Master?" He called out in between his heavy breathing. Light finally poured into the room and stung his eyes. He had gotten very much used to the dark, that the new light blinded his eyes. He looked around him as the vibroblades retreated into holes in the walls, which sealed themselves up, then looked up at the balcony, which overlooked the large room. There stood his teacher Darth Fissure, whom he could barely look upon. His presence caused horrible shivers up Cobra's spine whenever he looked into his Master's eyes, which blazed a terrifying, yellow color that all Sith were familiar with. He wore a black robe, and his hood shadowed his eyes, making them look much more foreboding to him.

"Well done, my apprentice, flawless movement, good timing, I sensed much power from you in the Force," Darth Fissure complimented. Though they were encouraging compliments, his voice had such a terrifying aura that caused Cobra to only feel worse, like he wanted to crash to his knees and bow his head to him. Getting down on his knees, he did just that. He bowed his head so low, it just about touched the floor.

"Thank you, my Master," Cobra said in a low tone.

"Rise," Fissure commanded. Again, his voice had such a dark, terrifying sensation, that Cobra's knees felt glued to the floor. But, not wanting to anger his master, he rose, but kept his head low.

"Look at me, boy," Fissure snapped. Reluctantly, Cobra lifted his head to stare at Fissure's scarred face.

"In the Force, I could feel your passion to succeed, to do whatever it takes to finish your exercises, and what does passion gain for you?" Fissure asked. This wasn't a trick question. Cobra knew that he was asking him to recite part of the code.

"Through passion, I gain strength," Cobra answered.

"And through strength, you gain power…" Fissure recited.

"Through power, I gain victory," Cobra finished, his hands clenching into fists as he imagined the power that he had represented during his exercise.

"And through victory, your chains are broken, and so shall they be, tomorrow," Fissure said, the pride showing in his voice. Cobra's eyes snapped open, and he looked up at his master, despite the fact that looking at him felt like a lightsaber stabbing through his forehead.

"Tomorrow, Master?" He asked, anxiety rising in his voice. Fissure nodded.

"Tomorrow, you will face one of our greatest swordsmen, and if you follow through with what our Code teaches you, you will become a Master."**

*"You look like you could gauge the eyes out of a rancor," Butch complimented as he and Cobra walked down a hallway in the academy. Butch, a young Twi'lek from Ryloth, wore a dark red cloak. His two lightsabers dangled from his silver belt.

"Like me, you'll make it, in time, we will both be Masters," Cobra encouraged. Unless they were doing private training sessions with the Masters, Cobra and Butch were always together, challenging each other and scouting the area outside. The two of them had vowed that one day, they would kill their first Jedi together. The Jedi were the so-called guardians of peace and justice, sworn to aid the Republic. Cobra had always scoffed at this. The Republic was weak, a large group of different species sitting and rotting on Coruscant. Coruscant was a planet the Sith plotted to take, soon enough, and Cobra's dream was to be part of the army that would invade the Jedi Temple and rid it of the Jedi. Yes, there were more havens across the galaxy where the large numbers of Jedi dwelt, but the Temple on Coruscant was a good start. It was a place where the Sith could collect information that could damage the Jedi Order within.

"…And you know you want to," Butch finished. Cobra's head shot up to face his friend.

"Hmm?" Butch rolled his eyes.

"You were daydreaming again, weren't you?" He asked. Cobra smiled.

"I'm sure all of us are daydreaming these days," he pointed out. Butch frowned.

"So I know I want to what?" Cobra asked. Butch grinned, and gestured to his lightsabers. Cobra smiled back, realizing what it was he meant.

"Outside," Butch said.

*Outside in the muddy, grassy terrain, Cobra reached for the lightsaber clipped to his belt. The metal hilt felt cool amongst the muggy heat. Pressing the button on the hilt, a scarlet blade exploded from it, the all-too-familiar hum shattered the silence in the open field. He posed himself, and watched Butch unclip his two lightsabers and do the same thing. Without a hint of warning, Butch lashed out. His blades interlocked with Cobra's single one. The move was quick and well-timed, but Cobra had still been able to flick his blade upward to deflect the move. Drawing upon the Force now to guide him through, Cobra assaulted his friend with several swings, all them successfully parried. The two began to break into a dance now, parry after parry, strike after strike. During the fight, Cobra had managed to cut his blade across Butch's sleeve, tearing the tough fabric of his robe.

As a Sith student, Cobra had learned everything from a Sith's point of view. The things he studied in the academy's library was based on ancient writings of Sith Lords. Technology was only used if it was absolutely necessary. There was of course, the lightsaber, which was created artificially, and then of course, there were ships. Cobra had heard that there was other Sith tribes that relied on technology more than they on Zenga did. Technology was, however, studied so that they would have to use it if the need arose.

As a Sith student, Cobra desired to learn the ways of an assassin. Someone who could sneak up on a Jedi and try to take him. Most of the other students in the academy had commented that Cobra was good at coming in without them realizing it, as if Cobra was a shroud in the Force. Nobody would sense him coming, and the dark side within him was hidden from everyone unless Cobra felt like revealing that power.

"You got me there," Butch admitted, fingering his torn sleeve. Cobra grinned, and deactivated his lightsaber, clipping it back onto his belt. Butch didn't smile however.

"Do you really think you're ready?" He asked. Cobra frowned, feeling puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"You grin, you savor this moment as if it's a game. Where is your anger, your hate?" Butch asked. Cobra shook his head.

"Butch, I don't hate you," he admitted.

"Why not?"

"You're my friend, we grew up in this academy together," Cobra said. Butch shook his head.

"Remember your place, young one, our hate and anger is what feeds us, gives us power, strengthens us in the Force," he explained.

"_Do not call me _'_young one_'! I will become more powerful than any of you!" Cobra screamed. It was hard to tell whether he really meant to do it or not, but before he could stop himself, his hand shot up, and he watched Butch fly backwards from an invisible force, which Cobra didn't need to be reminded about that he had Force-pushed his friend. He watched Butch land a few feet away from him, stunned by the sudden move. Running over to Butcher, he looked down at his face, which just looked calm, but a fire danced in his eyes.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I still have much to learn," Cobra admitted. Butch shook his head.

"You do not have the makings of a Sith," he said.**


	2. Chapter 2

**The (*) symbol used once signals the start of a new scene while the (*) symbol used TWICE is the end of a scene.**

Chapter 2

Today was the day. The day that Cobra would prove to Darth Fissure and the rest of the blade masters and students that he was indeed ready, and that he did have the makings of a Sith warrior.

_I will show you Butch_, _I will show you all_.

He stared up at the balcony overlooking the large arena. His lightsaber was already in his hand, activated.

"Cobra," the sharp voice of Darth Fissure said. Cobra did not look at his teacher, but he answered.

"Yes, Master?" He asked.

"Your lightsaber."

"What?"

"Shut it off." Humiliated, Cobra deactivated his lightsaber and clipped it back onto his belt.

"Through passion…" Fissure started. Cobra knew exactly what he wanted.

"I gain strength."

"Through strength…"

"I gain power."

"Through power…"

"I gain victory."

"Through victory…"

"My chains are broken," Cobra finished, feeling proud of himself for remembering the ancient Code.

"The Force shall free me. Excellent, now you will face your opponent," Fissure declared. Cobra felt his hands clench into fists in determination, ready to face off against his opponent and claim his freedom as a Master. A door in the corner of the arena slid open, revealing a warrior completely in body armor from head to toe. His helmet was a coal black color with a dark T-visor that hid the opponent's eyes. Cobra knew that it was appropriate now to activate his lightsaber. If this opponent was really a good swordsman, he would be ready for a quick, early start. Allowing the Force to bring his lightsaber to his gloved hand, he pressed the button, the scarlet blade exploding from the hilt, bringing a loud hum into the quiet room. The armored opponent was paying attention to him now, but even with Cobra in a pose that was ready to lash out, the warrior seemed strangely reluctant, as if he was reconsidering this.

"What's the matter? Afraid to lose your reputation as a true Lord of the Sith?" Cobra sneered, leveling his blade at the opponent's neck. The opponent still stood there, unmoving, and Cobra was growing more and more impatient fast.

"Fine, be the coward that you are," he said, then, he launched himself at the opponent, his red blade angled over his head, ready to slash this warrior down. The armored opponent did not make a move, until the tip of Cobra's blade was just inches from his head, and Cobra heard the familiar sound of a lightsaber exploding into action, and clashing with his own blade. Cobra was on his feet now. His smile widened. Finally, a challenge.

Cobra aimed for certain parts of the opponent's body, first going for the legs, the throat, even trying to swing for the neck to behead this mysterious warrior. The warrior, who was starting to move quicker now, parried all of these moves. One interesting thing that Cobra had noticed was that this warrior was almost as short as him. He had heard that some Sith students were such good swordsmen, that they were allowed as challenges for students that were getting closer to moving up a rank, but Cobra was hoping that he would've been able to face up against a real Sith Master, perhaps even Fissure himself.

No. Facing off with Darth Fissure would've been a disaster. He knew he would've lost. Concentrating completely on the duel now, allowing the Force to flow through him, he pressed his attacks, allowing his lightsaber to swing so that it was almost reckless now, and out of form. A clean form was what the Jedi relied on because they allowed the Force to control their actions, instead of relying on hate and anger. Anger and hate was what won the battle quicker, and when he focused on these morbid feelings, he felt so much power growing within him as he connected with his hatred. Everything that he had been taught never told him that drawing on the Force so that he could use it limitlessly was a bad thing. This made Cobra smile again as he fought his opponent across the arena. His feet had begun leaving the ground more often now, as he spun in the air, aiming his foot at the opponent's chest, and delivering several successful kicks. He planned to get his opponent close enough to the wall as possible. Thrusting up his hand that wasn't holding his lightsaber, he had hoped to push the warrior away using the Force, but he realized that the opponent had done the same thing. Both of them had their hands raised at each other, driving themselves deeper and deeper into the Force to push the other away.

Cobra found himself helplessly flying across the open arena, and realized in horror that he had dropped his lightsaber. He crashed against the wall, and landed on his feet, his hands pressed down on the ground. The warrior had also been flung back from the push, and he had his eyes on Cobra's lightsaber.

Oh no you don't. Cobra reached out, calling upon the Force to summon his lightsaber back into his hand. Activating it again, he stood up and twirled the weapon, allowing it to pass from one hand to the other, and then, he jumped, his blade aimed downward at the warrior who was running up with his own blade. With one swift move, he threw his lightsaber in the warrior's direction. The warrior thrust his hand up, and Cobra's lightsaber flew and slapped into his hand, both blades humming now in his grips. But Cobra was not the least bit concerned. Landing on his feet in front of the warrior, he thought back to his practices yesterday, how he did not use his lightsaber to overcome the obstacles. He had relied completely on the Force to guide him, and he was going to do that again. Reaching his hand out toward the warrior, he curved his hand into a motion as if he was grasping someone's neck and gripping it harder and harder. The warrior began to cough, showing signs as if he was being strangled. His hands desperately moved to his throat, dropping the lightsabers in the process, trying so hard to break free from this invisible grip. Cobra grinned, showing all his teeth, his hand gripping harder and harder now. But wait! It couldn't just end there. Releasing the grip, he Force-pushed the warrior into the wall so hard, he could hear a cracking sound on the wall behind the opponent. He pulled his hand towards him, dragging the opponent with him, then pushed again, sending him against the wall again. He then let go, watching in triumph as the warrior crumpled to the ground, unleashing a series of cracked coughing that got more and more violent.

"I did it," Cobra realized aloud. Striding up towards the writhing body, he bent down and removed the helmet of his opponent. When he saw the warrior's real face, his jaw dropped, as well as the helmet from his hands.

"What? How…how could this be?" Cobra demanded, as he looked at the face of his friend, Butch. The blue Twi'lek stared up at him with astonishing eyes that seemed to dig into Cobra's skull. Blood trickled from Butch's mouth and dribbled down his sweaty neck.

"It's too late…" Butch groaned.

"No, no!" Cobra exclaimed. He looked into Butch's dying eyes, until they saw no more. He felt shattered now, completely grieved and at a terrible loss for words, or how he felt. He had been pitted against his friend and was forced to kill him. What was worse was that Darth Fissure had probably told Butch to put the armor on so that Cobra wouldn't recognize him, because if he knew it was Butch, he wouldn't have fought him. He stared up at the balcony, where Fissure still stood, watching attentively. A terrible smile occupied his face. He was _enjoying _this.

"Now you have learned a very important lesson. The Sith do not trust anyone, and they do not carry friendships. Attachment is unthinkable," he explained. Cobra's hands balled into fists, he felt his face burn in anger, terrible anger. He saw the Sith Lord's eyes close, his face looked contented and pleased.

"Yes, yes, I could feel your anger, it makes you powerful. You will make a good Sith warrior, but you are still merely a Sith student, and will be, for a little while longer," Fissure said. Cobra allowed all of the hatred bottled up inside him to spill out in the form of a scream. Summoning his lightsaber and Butch's to him through the Force, he activated them both and jumped towards the Sith teacher. As his feet landed onto the balcony, he saw Darth Fissure stand back, but he didn't make a move to defend himself.

"What's wrong, old man? I was hoping _you _would be the challenge," Cobra sneered. Fissure smiled, but still didn't move. Wasting no more time, Cobra advanced at him with the lightsabers raised, and felt a terrible shock of energy crash into him. He realized that the Sith Lord had used Force lightning on him, the force of the electric energy sent him flying off the balcony, across the arena, and crashing through the only window at the other side of the room. Cobra felt himself hopelessly falling. He was outside in the sun now, and he could only see the sky above him. Quickly calling upon the Force, he allowed his fall to slow down, and gently hit the ground. Without a moment's hesitation, he staggered up, realizing thankfully that he hadn't let go of the lightsabers when he was sent flying. He clipped them both to his belt, and ran off into the forest close by. He knew exactly where to go.


	3. Chapter 3

**The (*) symbol used once signals the start of a new scene while the (*) symbol used TWICE is the end of a scene.**

Chapter Three

*I've got a bad feeling about this.

Jedi Master Zora Zora always seemed to have a bad feeling, which twisted and squirmed in his stomach. Unease crept up his spine, and he was feeling very nervous now as he stood facing the thugs in the cantina that surrounded him. He had saved the poor man that was being harassed by them, and these thugs were willing to destroy Zora as payback, Jedi or not. His lightsaber was still clipped to his belt, and he made no motion to reach for it, allowing the Force to guide him through this situation. The bartender at the counter watched on, unsure of what to do, whether he should call security or wait and see what the Jedi was going to do.

"Jedi scum," one of the thugs spat out, as he raised his fists, ready for a fight. Zora smiled and jabbed his finger upward into the air, and the thug flew up with the motion, and, through the Force, Zora was able to send the thug crashing into the other two, and they skidded across the floor and hit the legs of one of the tables. The others watching cheered and clapped at the performance. Zora saluted, then walked out, feeling he had had just enough action for the day. The planet Doro was a rough planet. It reminded Zora very much of Tattoine, except the scum here weren't as wretched. It was a planet mostly for bounty hunters and mercenaries, a place they went to search for job opportunities. On a planet that was so close to Sith havens such as Zenga and Korriban, mercenaries were guaranteed to get hired by the Sith and earn a great deal of money.

Things had been lonely for Zora for seven years now ever since he had lost his Padawan. During a battle with several Sith, Zora's Padawan had gone missing, and the Jedi Council on Coruscant had insisted that Zora let it go, that he must not allow attachment to get the best of him.**

*Thinking about Butch again almost made Cobra weep while he flew. He was surprised that he was able to steal a ship and get off-planet so easily. During his years on Zenga, he had been taught by Butch all the necessary things to pilot a ship. Thanks to his research in the library back at the academy, he knew the different planets closest to Zenga, and the best one was Doro. A very lowly planet that was like an entire tourist site for mercenaries. He could use his…special power to hide his identity from most people, even if there were Jedi on the planet, he was confident that he could walk around unnoticed. Keeping his lightsaber hidden under his robe, he landed the ship on a docking bay near a spaceport. He grimaced as he watched dozens of different mercenaries and other scum crossing the streets, jeering and cursing at each other as they passed by each other.

Deciding to give this a try, Cobra shut the ship's systems down and exited the ship, walking down the landing ramp and showing his lightsaber to the guards at the entrance to the spaceport.

In less than a few minutes, Cobra had managed to steal a handful of credits and a traveler's cloak without anybody noticing in order to blend in. Wearing the cloak now, with his lightsaber hidden in his sleeve, he walked toward the cantina across the street. He almost gasped when he saw a Jedi standing close by the door. He had long brown hair that trailed down to the middle of his back, and he had a cleanly shaven face. His brown Jedi robe fluttered in the cool breeze. This Jedi looked young, yet his eyes illustrated immense wisdom that only older Jedi would have. Then of course, there was the lightsaber clipped to his belt, which was the thing that gave the man's identity away. The Jedi seemed to sense that he was looking at him, because he was looking straight back at him. Growing nervous, Cobra stayed where he was, not daring to take another step. Could this Jedi already sense the dark side within him? For a minute, it made him feel ashamed. But the Jedi didn't go for his lightsaber or show any sign that he knew what he was. Instead, he actually smiled, and motioned for him to come.**

*Zora watched the young man in the tan cloak cautiously approach him, very curious as to who he was. As soon as he had lain eyes on the boy, there seemed to be a sharp ripple through the Force, almost like a disturbance, but it didn't feel like one that was of danger, but rather, it was as if the Force had been leading him right here, and this was finally a moment that, for some reason, he felt like he was waiting for.

"Young man, what are you doing out here? You don't look like the sort to be a bounty hunter," he commented. The boy shivered, but then immediately stopped.

"I'm sorry sir, I ran away from home, those Sith destroyed my family," he complained, looking down at the ground. Already, Zora was beginning to feel sympathy for the boy.

"What is your name?" He asked. The boy didn't answer for a while, but then finally spoke up.

"Chris," the boy answered. Zora didn't reply to this. Instead, he shut his eyes and sunk deep into the Force, trying to grasp if this child was telling the truth. This all seemed strange to him somehow, like he was unsure of trusting this young man, but it seemed the Force was urging him to go along with it for the time being. He had lost count as to how many times the Jedi encouraged each other to 'trust in the Force' and allow its will to take shape. He believed the Force had placed this boy in his path, now it was time to play along.

"Your family is dead?" Zora asked.

"Yes sir," Chris answered.

"Where did you live?"

"In a home not far from this spaceport. I fled here."

"How long ago was that?"

"Three months ago, sir." Zora nodded. Then that explained why he didn't sense any Sith when he was here. The Jedi on Coruscant had discovered the unique ability in him to be able to sense things through the Force far and wide. He would've known if there were Sith on this planet.

"Follow me, Chris."**


	4. Chapter 4

**The (*) symbol used once signals the start of a new scene while the (*) symbol used TWICE is the end of a scene.**

Chapter Four

*The Weequay bounty hunter Tox couldn't help but cringe as he watched his Sith employer spray lightning bolts from his fingertips at a young student in a large room in the Sith academy on Zenga. His employer had a terrible scowl on his face that almost distorted his features, making it look a lot less human and more like a feral animal. A Trandoshan had come to mind as to what the employer's face reminded him of. The student screamed in pain under the electric bolts that kept him pinned to the ground. He had black hair that extended down the back of his neck, the sweat plastered it to the top of his back. The student roared in pain and hatred, as he staggered up, still engulfed in electric energy, and he lifted his hands, the crates that were scattered around the room rose up from the ground and floated in the air. When the Sith employer stopped hurtling the lightning from his fingertips, the student's hands dropped to his knees, and the crates fell and crashed neatly back onto the ground.

The Sith employer turned to Tox, raising a hand to signal to the student that he wasn't done with him. The student sat on the ground, his legs folded.

"There is a student you want recovered?" Tox asked, deciding to get right to business even if the Sith Lord did not. The Sith Lord stiffly nodded. He reached into a pocket in his robe and pulled out a datapad.

"This will show you the student's physical appearance. I sense he did not go far. You must find him and bring him to me, alive," he explained.

"I will expect my payment when I return with him," Tox said. The Sith Lord grinned, which caused him to shiver.

"Don't worry, you will get your money, but first, the student."**

*Zora wasn't sure about this boy. He could understand if this boy, who called himself Chris, was shy and nervous, but this boy seemed a little _too _cautious. Zora did not need to look at him to know that he was looking around, as if someone was following them as they walked through the dirt streets of the spaceport. What was he going to do with this boy? Somehow, he could feel power radiating from the boy. The Force felt interestingly strong in him. Surely it was something to report to the Jedi Council. Yet, the boy was too old. A boy needed to start his Jedi training when he is only an infant, before he has the opportunity to experience feelings of anger, hate, and fear. This boy felt like he had all three mixed in together. But the Force seemed to be attaching him to the boy. For this, he was going to allow the Force to guide him.

But Zora had a feeling that the Jedi Council would not allow Chris to be trained. The Jedi stayed with their principles very closely, so there was no guarantee that they would let him train Chris. In some other way, he would have to train Chris to learn the ways of the Force, and become a Jedi, to replace his last Padawan.**

*Cobra felt the dark side churn within him, reminding him what he was trained for. What the Sith practiced, and what made them the type of Force-wielders that they are in this decaying galaxy. Cobra thought back to the first day he had ever looked in a mirror. Staring back at him was a very pale face, his eyes were a flaming yellow, and it was dark around his eyes, giving them a shadowy look. He could remember feeling Darth Fissure's unbearable presence enter the room, the floor slightly vibrated underneath him as the Sith Master drew closer to him.

"What you see is perfectly normal, my apprentice. A Sith warrior's face, which will soon strike fear into the hearts of every Jedi. You will learn what it is like to possess a power greater than you could ever imagine," Darth Fissure's voice echoed through Cobra's mind, as if he was speaking to him through the Force, rather than physically speaking. Cobra jumped as one corner of the mirror cracked, and then the whole thing exploded, shards of glass rained down and pelted the floor at his feet.

"Have you ever heard of the Force, Chris?" The Jedi Zora asked, cutting into Cobra's thoughts. His mind finally snapped back to reality. He realized that Zora had stopped and looked at him. They were in a lonely corner of the spaceport. Very few people walked by. How was Cobra supposed to answer this question? Of course he had heard of the Force, he _knew _the Force, he was taught in the ways of the Force. Remembering to keep his identity concealed, he decided to come up with a wise answer.

"Well, my parents had told me that the Jedi and the Sith draw upon the Force for power, it's what gives them their power, but that is all I know. In fact, me and my family have always thought that the Force was just ancient myth," Cobra answered. Zora bent down, his eyes looking straight into his, which made him shiver.

"The Force is no myth. It is an energy field that is surrounded by all living things, it binds us all together, and now, I believe that the Force has led the two of us together. I am willing to teach you the ways of the Force so that you may become a Jedi," he explained. Cobra's stomach dropped and he felt a terrible slithering in his throat, as if he had swallowed a womp rat. This Jedi was really willing to train him to become just like the enemies of the Sith? The ones that the Sith had despised for so many years, and had fought against to gain a foothold in the galaxy? Cobra felt this growing tension to reveal his identity, kill the Jedi right here, and run away. Right now, it seemed so easy to kill him right now. He couldn't see his lightsaber. He would never know. He could take him by complete surprise.

"I don't know sir, do you really think I could do it?" Cobra asked, deciding to figure out how this would play out.

"Training to become a Jedi is not an easy path, but I sense the potential within you. If the Force is willing, you may have a chance at this," Zora replied, a small smile spreading across his lips.**

*When Zora had told Chris that he was willing to train him to become a Jedi, he had expected a ripple from the Force, convicting him of his decision, but all he felt was this undeniable assurance, that what he was doing, was the right path to take. He would train the boy, right here on this planet. He would have to think of something to say when the Jedi Council contacts him. He would tell them about a boy he found, who had a strange story about why he was all alone with no parents or home, and that the Force was keeping the two of them together. Except, he wouldn't tell them that he was training Chris. Not yet.**

*Cobra stood feeling very awkward outside the spaceport, his knees trembling under the sun. Sweat streamed down his face and neck, soaking his robe. He watched the Jedi Zora across from him. Though Cobra's intention was to run away from him as soon as possible, something was nagging at him to stay. This was catching his interest. The Jedi was not reaching for his lightsaber, and he had not given Cobra one. Instead, he had his fists ready.

"Master Jedi?" Cobra asked. Zora shook his head.

"If you don't have experience in physical combat, then there is no use in using the lightsaber," Zora said. Cobra reluctantly nodded. He knew that he was experience in physical combat, but he couldn't show that because it was possible that the Jedi would become suspicious. He purposely allowed Zora to gain the upper hand on him at several points. He purposely went for sloppy kicks or punches. But the sloppier he got, the more the Jedi lectured him as to how to fight, and it began to get humiliating. He decided to pretend that he was listening, and would then improve, throwing punches and side-kicks, until the two of them fought each other in a fluent, solid motion. Cobra watched the Jedi smile, satisfied in his work. Cobra knew that he wanted to get away from him as soon as possible.**

*However, the next thing Cobra knew, he was standing in a room in an inn that he and the Jedi Zora was staying in. A blindfold concealed his eyes, yet Zora had him hold a training lightsaber, which had an ocean blue blade, the hilt feeling cool in his two hands. When Zora had purchased a new set of clothing for Cobra, he had had to hide his own lightsaber under his bed, hoping very dearly that the Jedi would not look there. Sweat coursed down his forehead, soaking the blindfold. Beads of sweat hung suspended in the tips of his ash-black hair. Now, he was used to training in a dark room, but a blindfold felt ridiculous. Zora had told him that he was to not use the Force on the small floating droid that was supposed to fire beams at him, but to completely rely on the Force and act on instinct to control the direction of the lightsaber. Cobra felt a terrible hatred for holding a Jedi's lightsaber in his hand. He had no intention of completing his training. As soon as he got the opportunity, he would run away.

But where would he go? Darth Fissure would surely not be very forgiving if he returned, and he would surely lose everything that was given to him, maybe even his own life. He couldn't take the risk. However, perhaps being trained as a Jedi may be useful. The more he learned about the ways of the Jedi, perhaps the better the Sith could get in order to crush them, by handing all the information he could gain over to the Sith so that they could it against them. To study your enemy would surely gain victory over your enemy.

"Your eyes could deceive you, you must sink into the power of the Force and allow it to guide you through your actions," Zora instructed. Cobra almost smiled, but stopped himself. Clenching his fingers tighter around the hilt of the lightsaber, he sunk himself deep into the Force, only this time, he wasn't sure if he should allow the dark side to control him through this dilemma, or if he should stay completely neutral. To simply be one who can tap into the Force's power and use it like someone who was trying out the Force for the first time. In his mind, the Force alerted him of attack. He could hear the remote droid fire at him, and he felt his hands spring into action. Swinging the blade downward to block the incoming bolt, but felt a slight jab at his leg, and he realized that the bolt had hit him.

"Concentrate, allow your feelings to stay in control. Anger and hate is the path to the dark side. Be patient," Zora advised. Cobra glared behind the blindfold. The Jedi's teachings were starting to get on his nerves. Without calling upon any restraint, he allowed the lightsaber to swing, cutting the remote droid nicely in half. He heard the two halves of the droid fall and clatter to the ground. Suddenly, he could feel a terrible ripple of disappointment from Zora through the Force, which made him stumble backward.

"I am…sorry, Master," What? Had he really called the Jedi Zora, _Master_? No! No, this was going too far, even for one who was pretending to be a homeless boy. The realization of what he had said, made him feel like vomiting, and he didn't care if Zora would see it.**


	5. Chapter 5

**The (*) symbol used once signals the start of a new scene while the (*) symbol used TWICE is the end of a scene.**

Chapter Five

*Back in his days of training at the Sith Academy on Zenga, Cobra could remember so much power radiating in a large room full of Sith students. The room was lit from dim, red lights on the walls, and the scarlet blades of the lightsabers. There had to have been about thirty of them, all creating a humming chorus. Standing next to Cobra was his dear friend, Butch. The blue Twi'lek had his lightsaber in front of him, determination all over his face. Cobra could feel all of the students' powerful passion and anger that gave them all great power. In front of the students stood Darth Fissure, his own lightsaber was activated as well.

"Your positions please," he demanded, his voice thin and raspy. Cobra immediately moved his lightsaber upward in front of his face. He could hear the quick hums of the other lightsabers as the students moved into their own poses.

"Repeat the words," Fissure commanded, and the whole room echoed the familiar words of the Sith Code.

"Through passion, I gain strength, through strength I gain power, through power I gain victory, through victory my chains are broken."

"The dark side of the Force promises the user great power, power that is fueled by your anger. Your anger is your strength. Sith have no fear. They are disciplined to focus on the task at hand, not thinking of anyone or anything else, for mercy is a lie," Fissure instructed. Cobra remembered watching the Sith Master sweep his yellow eyes across the large group of students. They felt cold, yet it felt good. So much power, so much power…**

*Yet, here Cobra was. Being trained by a Jedi in an inn. He had taken off the blindfold and looked down at the cut remote droid, which lay there, smoke leaking out from the charred mess of wires inside. He looked at the Jedi, expecting to be punished somehow. Every time he thought back to whenever he had failed in his training with Darth Fissure, he would feel the Sith's terrible presence beating down upon him, or he would feel electric energy engulf him. But the Jedi Zora did not make a move. He stood there studying him. A soft assurance seemed to radiate from him, and enter into the boy's poor heart. Something he had never felt before. And yet, it was as if his training with the Sith had disciplined him to hate this kind of feeling. It made him feel nauseous and his stomach turn.

"This is not unusual with new students," Zora said. It wasn't? Students trained under the Jedi had done this? Cobra was doing what the Sith had always taught him to do. Latch onto his anger and use it as power. It was a fuel that allowed him to cut the remote droid clean in half.

"Aggression is not the Jedi way, my young Padawan. Patience is the key to self-control, allowing yourself to trust in the Force to take you through a situation," Zora taught.

"Do the Jedi seek a fight?" Cobra asked, knowing full well the answer to that question.

"No. The Jedi are keepers of the peace, they are not soldiers, and they do not look for a fight. But the lightsaber is what we have in case the need arose to use it, but only if it is absolutely necessary."

Cobra thought this for a moment, then had another question to see what the Jedi would say.

"You mentioned the dark side. Is it stronger?"

"No, it is not. It's quicker, more seductive, yes, but not stronger," Zora replied. That made Cobra want to spit at the Jedi's feet, but he wasn't the least surprised with the Jedi's answer. He had put this one right into a trap.

"Isn't it the Jedi's goal to quest for greater power?" Cobra asked, curious now. Zora shook his head.

"That is the Sith's goal. The Jedi only care about others. Knowledge is important, but it is also dangerous. Depending on the kind of knowledge you gain, it can cause you to become greedy. It is important to continue studying and learning, but the Force can never completely be understood even if a person spent his entire lifetime studying it. When you grow old enough, you can study ancient holocrons that contain information recorded by the some of the first Jedi that had ever existed. You can spend all day and all night studying in the libraries of every Jedi haven across the galaxy, but you will never obtain a complete and total knowledge of the Force. When you pass away, and you become one with the Force, your journey to learn the Force will have only just begun," Zora instructed. Cobra could only stare in awe at this. The Jedi were admitting that even _they _couldn't possibly learn the full power of the Force in their lifetime, yet he was always taught by the Sith that the Jedi hungered for unlimited power, and if they were not stopped, the galaxy would fall under their oppressive rule. Yet, to his surprise, Cobra seemed to feel his interest in the Jedi dawn.

Cobra watched Zora remove another remote droid from his bag. This time, he was ready. He activated Zora's lightsaber, and put the blindfold back over his eyes.

"Let us resume your exercises," Zora said.**

*One day in the past, during a training session in the Sith Academy, Cobra was watching the side of his robe darken from blood that was running down his side. He placed his hand on his forehead and then looked at it. It was wet with blood. Somehow, the terrible power of Darth Fissure's presence was doing something to him. He felt so weak. He couldn't lift his arms. He felt like his chest had a lightsaber sizzling through it. It made him gag and cough. This was discipline for failing to follow along a lightsaber form that he had been practicing for the past two weeks now. He knew that Fissure was in the room, but he couldn't look at him. Pain stabbed in between his eyes, and his knees crashed onto the floor, his hands hitting the floor. His face was covered in sweat, and he trembled from head to toe.

"Forgive me, Master!" Cobra groaned. But instead of Fissure replying, he felt electric bolts of energy smash into his back and engulf his entire body. An intense heat exploded through him, his arms and legs throbbed, and every feature on his face twitched. His face burned, and his anger sparked within him like coal being lit. Underneath the lightning, he would scream at the ceiling, his anger and hate erupting out of him like a volcano.**

*Here, with the Jedi Zora, he had not been disciplined for cutting the remote droid in half. Zora had taught him knowledge, and now here he was, with a new remote droid, and he was winning. He had followed the Jedi's instructions to let go of his conscience self and act on instinct.

"Feel, don't think," Zora instructed him. Cobra took a deep breath and moved the lightsaber upward in front of his body, posing himself and sinking deep into the Force. He gasped when, somehow, he was able to somewhat see the remote droid, even with the blindfold on. The Force seemed to be directing him to what he needed to know. The Jedi may be the enemy, but they _did _know a few things. Maybe perhaps these were things that future generations of Sith could be taught. The Sith had driven into his head that anger and aggression were keys to unlocking power that allowed him to move to victory, but maybe that was more like a distraction…

Commanding the Force, he felt his hands move to action, hearing the whir of the blade as it dipped and shot up into the air, deflecting the beams that the remote droid sent at him.

"See? You're beginning to see in a new world," Zora said, Cobra could hear satisfaction in his voice, almost joy; and somehow, he was feeling good with himself as well.**

*"Focus, yes, a Jedi's power flows through the Force," Zora said in a soothing voice. Cobra sat cross-legged on the ground, his eyes were closed, and several crates levitated in the air around him. In his mind, he could see the crates. He didn't have to open his eyes. He had tried that several times, but the crates had ended up falling and crashing back onto the ground, and Zora had sternly, but patiently tried to get him back in -to his meditation.

"Do the Jedi meditate often?" Cobra had asked the Jedi when he was getting started. Zora nodded.

"The more we meditate, the more we learn about the Force's power, and how it works within us," he explained. Cobra stared at the Jedi for a moment and he stared back as if he was trying so hard to study him. Finally, Zora broke the awkward silence.

"I had a Padawan once. He was a strong in the Force. He had a natural talent of learning and obtaining knowledge quickly. He was getting very close to the day when he would be knighted. But during his last trial, he was lost. I do not know what happened to him. We couldn't find any clues as to what happened. His fate seemed rather shrouded to us," he said. Cobra sat down beside him.

"What was he like?"

"Well, like I told you, he had a talent of learning quickly. He became capable quicker than a normal Jedi Padawan. Our bond was very much like a father and his son. He was never scared or frightened, he trusted the Force, just as I do," he replied. Cobra couldn't help but feel a sense of pity for him. If _he_ had ever gotten lost and couldn't be found, Master Fissure would never care. He would just find a replacement. The difference he saw between Jedi Masters and Sith Masters was their relationship with their apprentices. Jedi Masters trained their apprentices to become just like them and walk amongst them. Sith Masters trained their apprentices so that they one day either the Master betrays them or the apprentice kills the Master to take its place. There is no special attachment in that relationship.

"Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me this story," Cobra told Zora. Zora smiled.

"It feels good to tell someone about it. Cobra then sat in the same spot for three hours, allowing the crates around him to levitate.**


	6. Chapter 6

**The (*) symbol used once signals the start of a new scene while the (*) symbol used TWICE is the end of a scene.**

Chapter Six

*Cobra couldn't help but smile at the short rapier he held in his hand as he stood outside in a field far from the spaceport. He swung it, knowing full well that he had the power to wield it. He looked around for the Jedi Zora. Seeing no one, he removed his secret lightsaber from his belt and activated it, listening to its loud sound as it erupted into life, delivering a soft, but edgy hum. He swung it to and fro, shutting his eyes and focusing his mind on that sound. But something was wrong. Something felt…out of place. He opened his eyes and gazed at the scarlet blade he held in his hand, and for the first time since he created the lightsaber himself, the weapon felt very strange to him.

How could this be? He had wielded the lightsaber for years now, how could he be feeling this way? Then, he realized that it had to have been the Jedi's teachings and the ideas that had implanted in his head. Desperate, he tried to call upon the dark side, to allow his anger and his hate to strengthen him. But where was that anger? Where was that hate? What did he _have _to hate?

The Jedi were always said to be his enemy, but these Jedi did not look intentionally evil. They seemed to work the same way as the Sith. They taught what they knew and their beliefs in the Jedi were different, but what reason was there for them to be destroyed?

Suddenly, Cobra was jolted out of his thoughts by a sudden disturbance in the Force. Something wasn't right. He kept his lightsaber on, and he narrowed his eyes. There was a presence nearby, and it was getting closer and closer. He was caught unprepared when an electric shock exploded through his body up his legs and rushing up his head. Now Cobra knew what other Sith students thought when he snuck up on _them _when they least expected it. Mercifully, the electricity stopped tearing through his body, and he fell to the ground, terror jolting through him when he felt his lightsaber roll out of his limp hand.

He tried to do something, tried to lift his arms or move his legs, but he felt so weak, and so helpless. Even when Lord Fissure abused him with Force lightning, he did not feel this fragile. Suddenly, he saw a blue blade of light twirl above him, and he heard a blaster being repeatedly fired. Finally, the blaster bolts stopped and Cobra heard someone turning on his heels and fleeing, and for a moment, everything was silent.

"Chris, it's okay, get up," said a very familiar voice. Cobra staggered to his feet to see Master Zora.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes," Cobra responded, but his eyes desperately searched the ground for his lightsaber. But it was nowhere to be seen.

"What is it?" Zora asked. Cobra looked at him, deciding to lie to the Jedi's face.

"Nothing, just dizzy is all," he replied. Zora reluctantly nodded.

"Then let's go back," he said.**

*Tox stiffened when he heard the holodisc clipped to his belt chime. Nervously, he unclipped it and pressed the button to accept the transmission, and gulped when he saw the Sith Darth Fissure.

"Bounty hunter, I want a status report on your assignment," he demanded. Beads of sweat coursed down the hunter's forehead and dripped into his eyes.

"I located the student, but a Jedi came and prevented me from taking him," he replied. There was a moment of horrible silence before Fissure spoke again, which made Tox wish that it remained silent.

"Are you sure it was a Jedi?" He asked. Tox nodded.

"Yes. He wore a traditional Jedi's robe, and he wielded a lightsaber," he replied. There was another terrible moment of silence until Tox felt a strange feeling in his lungs. They felt as if someone was slowly gripping his throat, and it was closing around it tighter and tighter. Tox began to gasp for air, the air was quickly fleeing his lungs, and his arms began to tremble. He dropped the holodisc and fell to his knees, both hands at his neck as he continued to gasp for air. His vision began to blur, but he could still just make out the hologram of his client on the holo.

"Please—don't do this! I can please you by completing the mission, I beg of you!" He pleaded.

"Why, bounty hunter, you have already pleased me. You have given me very valuable information, and now I know how to handle this myself," Fissure said. Tox tried to say another word, but his vision darkened until it faded to nothing, and he saw and heard no more.**

*In bed, Cobra could feel this cold dread that seemed to come from nowhere at first, but then, it became terrifyingly clear.

"_Cobra_, _I will find you and I will take you back_. _I am coming for you_," the voice of Fissure boomed inside his head. Cobra opened his eyes and brought his hands to his ears, trying to block out the voice. Fissure was communicating with him through the Force.

"_The Jedi you are with will die by my hand and you will be returned to the academy_," Fissure continued.

"No!" Cobra screamed without controlling himself.

"Chris?" Said a comforting voice above him. Cobra looked up to see Zora staring down at him, concern creasing his face. Cobra's arms went back to his sides.

"Forgive me, Master, I was having visions," he admitted. Zora sat on the edge of his bed.

"If I may, what kind of visions?" He asked. Cobra sat up, leaning his head against the wall. His thick hair felt wet and muddled, and sweat streamed down his face.

"I—it—I believe it was a warning that a very dangerous Sith is hunting you down," he admitted. Zora frowned.

"A Sith? Did you see his face?" He asked. Cobra shook his head.

"No, Master."

"What about a name?"

"I don't know, Master."

"Anything else?"

"Only that this Sith plans to kill you by his own hand," Cobra said. Zora looked down at the ground.

"This is troubling. We must trust the Force, but until then, I am not leaving this planet until your basic training is complete. Now go back to sleep," he said, patting his hand on Cobra's leg, and walking back to his own bed. Cobra lied back down, but he did not go back to sleep for the rest of the night.**

*Cobra stepped out of the inn, feeling rather proud of himself. He had not gotten himself hurt during a practice duel with Zora, using plain swords. After a while of dueling, Zora had excused him so that he can meditate. He advised Cobra to meditate as well, but he felt he needed to meditate outside. Fissure was out to destroy Zora. Who knew if he was on this planet right now, searching for them? The mere thought caused Cobra to shiver, and he shook his head, trying to dispel the thought. Then, he had an idea.

Cobra ran to the several docking bays the spaceport had, checking each ship. He would know a Sith ship when he saw one. Finally, he saw one. The dark gray fighter emanated a strong dark side energy that caused Cobra to quiver. He had realized that the longer he was trained by the Jedi, the more the dark side looked repulsive to him. At this point, he wondered which side he truly wanted to be on. He asked a nearby droid that was monitoring the bay when exactly the Sith fighter had arrived.

"It came just this morning, at quite an early hour," it informed.

"How many hours exactly was that?" Cobra asked.

"About oh-four-hours ago, sir," it replied. Four hours? If that was so, then why didn't his former Master come to the inn immediately after his arrival? Unless…

"Um, I'm with the crew of this ship, I want access to it," he said. The droid stared at him blankly of course, but Cobra knew that the droid was feeling uneasy.

"I was here when this ship docked, and my memory does not remember your face," it said. Cobra sighed, and decided to do this the hard way.

"I said, I'm with the crew of this ship, I want access to it," he said in a slow, seductive manner, his hand slowly moving across the droid's face.

"You have been granted access into the ship," it replied, sounding tired and dizzy, for a droid. Cobra nodded and walked over to the ship, motioning with a hand to open the landing ramp. With a hiss, and several puffs of smoke, the ramp opened up, the bottom touching the ground at Cobra's feet. As if on queue, the dark side howled like a violent wind from the inside of the ship, which was dark, despite the windows. With one long breath, Cobra walked up the ramp and stepped into the ship.

Like he saw outside, the interior was dark, and then he realized that the ship's windows had been shut. Fear stabbed into him like a freezing dagger, and his hand went for the rapier that hung on his belt. His lightsaber was still missing, which made him nervous, as he wondered if the bounty hunter had taken it. He slowly unclipped the rapier, clutching the hilt with both his hands. Sweat streamed down his face and soaked his tunic as he slowly walked through the ship, using nothing but the Force to guide him through the darkness. He felt familiar presences on the ship. It wasn't Lord Fissure's, but Cobra couldn't tell if the Force was indicating to him that these familiar presences had been on the ship and were now gone, or if they were there now, hiding in the shadows.

Then, Cobra shot up straight when heard the familiar sounds of several lightsabers being activated. He whirled around, and gasped when he saw the scarlet lights penetrating the black of the interior. The red lights reflected off the faces of several students that he knew from his time at the academy.

"Cobra, we've missed you," one of them said. Cobra recognized him as Shar, a young student whose head had been shaved completely, causing his head to shine brightly in his blade's reflection. Next to him, another student named Eeri grinned, his bright eyes caused Cobra to shudder. The third and last student in the room was Mar, the youngest student in the academy with thin, wispy hair that stopped just over the back of his neck. For the first time, Cobra felt a sense of terror at seeing the three fellow students he used to train alongside with. They almost looked unnatural to him, like they carried some deadly disease, and he was afraid of getting infected by it.

"Lord Fissure wants you alive Cobra. Cooperate, and you will not suffer harm, not yet," Eeri said. Cobra took a step backward, raising his rapier in front of him, then, without giving it another thought, he lashed out, aiming the sword directly for Shar's torso. Shar's scarlet blade moved to intercept it, the two blades clashed into each other, the electric sparks of Shar's lightsaber echoing through the ship.

"You weak-minded fool! I always thought that you didn't have the makings of a Sith, but I never believed that you would listen to the teachings of a Jedi," Shar snarled, swinging his own saber to wound Cobra, but Cobra kept his blade in motion, engaging it with Shar's lightsaber blade at every swing. He knew he couldn't stay here. He had realized too late that this was a trap. Darth Fissure was probably out looking for Master Zora right now. In all his life as a Sith student, he never thought that he would be worried for a Jedi, but fear had begun to creep up his spine for Zora. Sensing a sneak attack from behind, he whirled around, blocking Eeri's move to maim him. He blocked several more maneuvers from Eeri, and then Force-pushed him into a small pile of crates. He then turned around again and unleashed another powerful telekinetic push to Shar, then batted Mar's short lightsaber away from his neck. Using the Force, he telekinetically caught hold of a crate and flung it towards Mar's head. Mar, however, saw it coming, and cut his weapon down across the middle of the crate, its contents spilling out in all directions.

But Cobra was already on his way to the open door, and froze in his tracks when he saw Darth Fissure standing there, with a large, scarred grin on his face. The last thing Cobra felt before he blacked out was a terrible barrage of Force lightning.**


	7. Chapter 7

**The (*) symbol used once signals the start of a new scene while the (*) symbol used TWICE is the end of a scene.**

Chapter Seven

*When Cobra awoke, he found himself in a large room that seemed oddly familiar. He sat up, clutching his head with both hands, grimacing at his gruesome headache. When he took his hands away, he saw small droplets of crimson. Sometime while he was out, he must've a bump in the head. When he looked around, he finally remembered what this room was. It was the training room in the academy on Zenga. On the wall above him, the single window had been shattered. Broken shards of glass still lay scattered everywhere. Rays of sunlight streamed through the broken window.

"Welcome, my apprentice," a low, scratchy voice said, echoing through the vacant room. Cobra shut his eyes and folded his legs. He knew his Master was directly behind him.

"Master?" He asked. The ground below him slightly trembled when Fissure took a step closer.

"I see you have recovered," Fissure said. Cobra opened his eyes, but didn't look at the Sith Lord.

"Recovered? Recovered from what?" He asked, not quite sure what Lord Fissure was talking about. All he could remember was completing a test the day before, and his Master seemed rather pleased. Wasn't there something he said? Something about…

"The day when I become a Master is almost here, isn't it Master Fissure?" Cobra asked.

"Yes. You have impressed me enough. Tomorrow, you will face an opponent, and prove your worth to the dark side," Fissure replied. Cobra stood up, and ran a hand through his hair again, staring at the bloody smudges on his fingertips.

"What happened to me?" He asked.

"I was disciplining you when you wrongly questioned me. You will heal however," Fissure said. Cobra moved his hand to his belt, feeling his lightsaber, which was clipped to it.

"I will be ready for the duel tomorrow," he said.

"Excellent. I look forward to completing your training," Fissure replied, and an immense calmness settled over Cobra when the Sith Lord left. A lot felt normal to him, but at the same time, something felt terribly wrong. Something wasn't right here, and he was determined to find out exactly what that was.**

*"I must say, you came very close to changing that boy," Darth Fissure said. He stared through the bars at Jedi Master Zora. The Jedi was badly beaten and bruised, lying crooked across the floor. Blood pooled underneath him.

"One thing that you Sith do not realize is that there is always hope for a user of the dark side to turn to the light," Zora insisted, spitting out blood as he did so. Fissure chuckled.

"And one thing you _Jedi _don't realize is that the Sith have found aspects of the Force that have given us immense power, far beyond what you can understand, because you refuse to seek it," he snapped. Fissure grinned as he watched the Jedi turn to look at him.

"You have already lost. That boy will know me again."**

*Cobra stood in the center of the training arena, one hand holding his lightsaber, not yet activated. Determination flooded through his body. He couldn't believe this day had finally come after years of oppressive training. He was to become a Master, and with their combined strength, they bring the Republic to its knees. He looked up at Darth Fissure who stood on the balcony, staring down at him with terrifying, yellow eyes.

"Finish what I start student: through passion, I gain…"

"Strength," Cobra finished.

"Through strength, I gain…"

"Power."

"Through power I gain…"

"Victory."

"Through victory…"

"My chains are broken."

"The Force shall free me," Fissure finished. He nodded, and turned to the side door in the arena, which slid open revealing a Jedi. Cobra's stomach leaped and his heart hammered out of his chest. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He couldn't believe it! He was actually going to face a _Jedi_! He couldn't believe his luck. He grinned, and his scarlet blade exploded out of his hilt, its soft hum filling the room. The Jedi had long, brown hair that extended down the back of his neck and scattered itself across his shoulders. His face looked young, but his eyes seemed old, as if he had had many years of experience that gave him immense knowledge. His tunic was torn and ragged, and there were stains of dried blood all over his tunic and leggings. He stepped forward, looking interestingly calm and diligent, yet his eyes betrayed fear.

Cobra smirked. The Jedi had always disciplined themselves to avoid fear, and yet, here was a Jedi who obviously feared for his life. Perhaps he could impress Lord Fissure by killing the Jedi _slowly_. Surely there was no harm in having a little fun…

Then, Cobra realized something. Master Fissure was nodding to him that he may begin the duel, but the Jedi did not go for his lightsaber, which was clipped to his belt.

"Come on, Jedi. Afraid are you? Isn't fear a trait that the Jedi train themselves against?" Cobra mocked. The Jedi didn't move, nor did his expression change. Fine, this Jedi sought to do things the hard way. Growing impatient, Cobra launched himself at the Jedi, his lightsaber over his head, aiming straight for the opponent's neck. Before he could make a move to defend himself, the Jedi raised his hand towards him, and Cobra felt himself get flung backwards across the arena, falling flat on his back and skidding across the floor until the back of his head struck the wall. He quickly staggered up, his lightsaber still activated in his hand, and he stared at the Jedi, who didn't make a move to kill him.

"You foolish Jedi! You and your mercy!" Cobra shouted.

"There is no emotion, there is peace," the Jedi calmly replied. Cobra was surely caught off guard by that. He certainly didn't expect _that_, and those words seemed to affect him as if he was shoved by the Force again.

"What?" Cobra asked, but then, he felt something like a slap in the face that seemed to come from Fissure through the Force.

"Kill him! Kill the Jedi!" Fissure screamed, his voice on the edge of desperation. Cobra began to slowly advance on the Jedi again, but he wasn't done speaking.

"There is no ignorance; there is knowledge," the Jedi said. Cobra didn't pause this time.

"Let me point out to you _Jedi _that you are the one that is being ignorant. If you had any knowledge at all, you would face me with a lightsaber. My passion is to rid the galaxy of you Jedi before you convert everyone to your peace in the Force," Cobra shot back.

"There is no passion; there is serenity," the Jedi replied. Cobra roared in anger, and leaped, aiming the tip of his scarlet blade at the Jedi's neck. But then, something happened. It was as if a large portion of Cobra's mind had been torn away, and now he felt like a dumb bantha. He began to feel so weak, his legs seemed to dangle underneath him, and he felt himself falling. His lightsaber deactivated without him doing it himself, and it fell from his hand and struck the ground below him. He fell, his head striking the ground beside his lightsaber. He struggled himself up using his hands and knees. What happened to him? How could he feel this way? He felt so weak and fragile, as if…as if…

Then he realized what had happened. The Jedi had blocked the Force from him. He could no longer feel its power radiating within him like an electric pillar. The ultimate source of his power, which he relied on to guide him for as many years as he could remember, was gone. He stared up at the Jedi, intense hatred bubbled up within him.

"_You did this!_ _Give it back to me! Give it_…" But Cobra didn't have the strength to finish. His head fell into his hands, and he wept, tears streaming down his face and hitting the ground underneath him.

"Master, won't you do something?" He begged. Then, he felt a finger touch his forehead, and then, all of the memories that seemed to have gone missing came flooding back to him. He could remember Butch, his friend whom he had killed without knowing it, and the Jedi Zora. Zora!

Cobra looked up, and then he finally recognized the Jedi that had blinded him from the Force. It was Master Zora, and this time, he felt no shame in referring to him as Master.

"Come child, we must go now!" Zora said, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"No!" Fissure shrieked. Cobra's eyes shot up open in shock when he heard Force lightning screaming towards them. He heard two lightsabers activate. When he looked up, he saw Master Zora deflecting the lightning with both a blue blade and his own red one. The lightning that ran into the blades formed a ball of electric energy, which Zora shot towards the balcony. The energy smashed into the balcony so hard, it began to crumble and shake, causing Fissure to lose his balance. Before Cobra could watch the balcony collapse, he felt himself get scooped up by one arm, and he was carried out the shattered window.**


	8. Chapter 8

**The (*) symbol used once signals the start of a new scene while the (*) symbol used TWICE is the end of a scene.**

Chapter Eight

*Cobra was carried for what seemed like a long time, until finally, Zora put him back onto his feet.

"Well, _Chris_, that was some clever trick you pulled," he said sternly. Cobra looked away from him, and instead, put his gaze on the dark woods around him. Small rays of sunlight leaked in between the trees that stood very closely together.

"You are a diligent Jedi to train a Sith scum like me," Cobra said. He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he slapped it off of him, and he whirled around to face the Jedi.

"You were the one that took my lightsaber after you chased away the bounty hunter, weren't you?" He demanded. Zora silently nodded.

"You knew," Cobra continued. Zora nodded again.

"Then why did you continue to train me? Why didn't you just kill me?"

"Killing is not the Jedi way. We only defend. The reason why I continued to train you was because of I felt like the Force had brought the two of us together for a reason. So, I trained you in the ways of the Jedi to see what would happen; also, you reminded me of my former Padawan."

"What was that you were saying, back in the academy?" Cobra asked. Zora looked at him.

"That was the Jedi Code," he replied. Cobra's gaze went to the grass below him.

"There is a Sith Code as well," he admitted.

"I've heard of it. Recite it to me," Zora said. Cobra nervously fidgeted.

"Through passion I gain strength, through strength I gain power, through power I gain victory, through victory my chains are broken. The Force shall free me," he recited. He was surprised that for the first time in his life, something didn't feel right when he recited those words. They felt…unnatural.

"There's more I didn't say about it, but you must learn to find peace. The Sith draw their anger and their hate to fuel themselves in a fight. The Jedi, on the other hand, seeks out every peaceful alternative. Fighting is a last resort to us," Zora explained.

"Please, I can't feel the Force. It's gone. I just feel like a weakling on the streets, _please_, can you give it back to me?" Cobra pleaded. He wanted to find that peace, but he couldn't find the Force inside him. It was still stripped away from him. Zora placed a hand on his shoulder. This time, Cobra didn't slap it away.

"You want peace? You desire to learn the ways of the Force as the Jedi teach it?" He asked. Cobra nodded.

"Then, you will be restored," Zora confirmed. Then, Cobra felt such energy flowing through him. It felt so good to possess this power, but this time, he didn't feel like he deserved it. He felt like he had been blind until now, now he saw things with a new perspective. He felt honored to be by this Jedi's side, who didn't kill him the moment he found out that he was Sith, who took him to be trained because he felt compassion for him.

Suddenly, Zora's gaze darted both left and right. Something was wrong.

"We're not alone in these woods. The Sith are coming for us."

Zora and Cobra ran through the desolate woods, both their lightsabers were on and ready for anything. Cobra looked up to see the student Shar jump down from a tree, his scarlet blade twirling in one hand. Both blades clashed, the electric sizzle echoing through the woods.

"As long as the dark side strengthens me, I am Sith," Shar sneered. Cobra almost wept as he continued batting Shar's blade away from him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Mar and Eeri in close combat with Zora. In the woods, four red blades and one blue one twirled and swung, three scarlet blades desperately attempted to slash Cobra's and Zora's throats. Cobra continued to block every one of Shar's swings. Cobra ducked as Shar's blade flew over it and singed several of his hairs. Cobra grimaced from the brief burn he felt across the head. With both his hands clutching the hilt, Cobra brought his blade up just as Shar thrust his own down. The two blades met once again.

"Lord Fissure will come for you even if you kill me," Shar said. Cobra grinned.

"That's just the problem. I don't plan on killing you," he replied, and using both hands, he thrust his open palms at the student, and he watched him fly backwards, high in the air, until he struck the back of his head against a tree. Shar slumped, his back hitting the ground. Cobra whirled around in time to deflect Mar's blade. Carefully, he used his free hand to strike it across Mar's face, then he jumped, spinning himself in the air to propel his feet into the student's face. Mar fell off his feet, dropping his lightsaber. Cobra brought his lightsaber over his head to strike, but then, he felt his feet get forced from underneath him, and he fell forward onto his face, bringing his blade down with him. He heard a terrible scream, and then, silence.

When he lifted his head, he gasped at what he saw. When he had fallen forward with his lightsaber, the blade had gone down flat against Mar's throat. Choked coughs erupted from Mar's lips, spitting blood and saliva.

_Oh no_.

Staggering up to his feet, Cobra deactivated his lightsaber and cast it aside like it was some venomous bug, and he crouched beside the wounded student. He looked up and saw Zora watching Eeri fleeing away through the trees.

"Master Zora!" Cobra called. Zora turned around and ran over to him, kneeling beside Mar.

"Can't you do something? Can you heal him?" Cobra begged. A tear coursed down his cheek. He wept for this student who had been training himself in the ways of the dark side in his short life. Without the dark side, he was just a misguided child. He stared in disgust at Mar's burned tunic.

"I'm sorry, but he is too far for me to heal him," Zora admitted, his voice thick with remorse. When Cobra looked back at Mar's face, the student was already gone. Cobra couldn't hold it in any longer. He wept into Zora's shoulder, his tears staining his Master's tunic.

"It's alright Chris, it wasn't your fault," Zora said. Cobra lifted his head from his shoulder.

"Stop calling me that! You know I made that name up! My name is Cobra," he insisted. Zora sadly shook his head.

"Your thoughts betray you. You're name _was _Chris before you even thought it up to fool me," he replied. Cobra sat up.

"What?"

"The Padawan that I told you about. He was you," he explained. Cobra's legs trembled as he got back up onto his feet. He used to actually be this Jedi's Padawan? No, no, that's impossible! How could he not remember that?

"I assume that when you were lost, the Sith took you, and messed with your mind, crippling your memory of me and your days as my Padawan. I didn't recognize you when I first saw you. You were so deep in the dark side, you were almost unrecognizable. But as I began training you, and you listened to me and tried to follow my instructions, it became more and more evident," Zora continued.**


	9. Chapter 9

**The (*) symbol used once signals the start of a new scene while the (*) symbol used TWICE is the end of a scene.**

Chapter Nine

*Darth Fissure stared at the destroyed balcony that lay in a heap on the ground. For the first time in quite a while, he felt rather dumbfounded. This Jedi was a tricky one. He had managed to escape with Cobra, and now he was having three of his best students pursue them once again. He felt a familiar presence before he even came into the room. Eeri ran in, his heavy breathing irritated the heavy silence in the room.

"My lord, Cobra killed Mar and knocked out Shar, what must be done?" He asked. Fissure did not turn to face him.

"Why didn't you stay and fight?" Fissure asked. There was an awkward moment of silence.

"But…my lord, with all due respect, it was a Jedi and an insane student, I couldn't possibly take them both," Eeri admitted. Fissure smirked.

"Why not?" He demanded, his impatience rising in his voice. In the silence, he could hear the pathetic student gulp in fear.

"It isn't possible, my lord," he said. This time, Fissure turned to look at him.

"Not possible? Not possible, you say. Please, tell me what we as Sith teach one another," he demanded. Eeri gulped again.

"We teach each other that battles are to be fought and won. We are not cowards," he said. Fissure nodded.

"Precisely. Then may I ask, why did you disrespect those teachings?" He demanded. Eeri almost knelt, but then stopped.

"Forgive me Master. My lessons have escaped me. I understand now that Sith have no fear," he said, his voice trembling as he did so.

"Indeed, you are correct student. I congratulate you on learning from your mistake," Fissure replied. Then, he raised his hand, and lightning exploded from his fingertips and engulfed the student, intent on continuing to torment him until he lied dead at the Sith Lord's feet. This time, he will deal with this himself.*

*"Chris, your lightsaber," Zora said, motioning to it. Cobra looked at his lightsaber, feeling as if there were nunas walking around inside him. The sight of his weapon made him feel sick.

"I can't. I can't take it. Not after what it did," Cobra admitted, his gaze dropping to the ground. Zora stepped towards him.

"I understand, but what are you going to use?" He asked. Cobra looked around until he spotted a Sith sword clipped to Mar's bloodied belt. He crouched down and took it, holding it with both hands.

"We must keep going," Zora insisted. Cobra followed his Master, still dazed from learning the truth about where he came from. He was a Jedi before he became a servant of the dark side? Was that possibly the reason why the Jedi's teachings somewhat appealed to him?

"Master, I have a few questions," Cobra said. Despite the circumstances, Master Zora laughed.

"Questions must wait, my young apprentice. We must find a ship and leave. I fear that the worst is yet to come," he replied. That silenced Cobra, as he knew that Darth Fissure himself could come and ambush them. He would know, however, if his former Master was approaching them. He had felt that presence so many times before; it was as familiar as oxygen. Sweat broke out on his forehead when he felt a tiny hint of the Sith Lord's presence. It was approaching them like a stealthy Tusken Raider, and he felt like a trapped womp rat. It didn't seem to matter how much faster Cobra walked, the dark presence seemed to be gaining up on them. He remembered when he would feel that presence and feel fear, but think it was normal. Now, this presence struck fear into him that wanted to run and never look back.

"Master, do you feel it?" Cobra asked. Zora nodded.

"Yes, I sense it. Stay close," he replied. Cobra nodded, one hand clutched the hilt of the sword so hard his knuckles whitened.

"Chris, do you know where we could find the closest ship?" Zora asked. Cobra looked around.

"We ran in the opposite direction. There are no ships this way. We have to turn back," he realized, his fear growing outrageously beyond his limits. Zora grunted, sounding rather irritated.

"I have a bad feeling about this. We'll have to turn around, stay sharp," he decided. Cobra bit back an argument, and followed Zora as they turned around and headed back in the direction of the academy. Cobra chewed his lip so hard it drew blood. He feared for his own life, and he feared for Zora's.

"There is no emotion, Chris. Only peace," his Master replied. Cobra took a deep breath.

"I know Master, it's just…so hard," he admitted. Zora nodded.

"I was just like you when _I _was your age, it's difficult to learn, but you will learn in good time," he assured him. Cobra took another deep breath, summoning the Force for peace. He had just started to feel it, to begin to calm down, when a rustling sound disrupted it, fear breaking out in Cobra's body again. He shot his gaze in the direction of the rustling, flicking his sword upward, ready for something to happen. Zora had his lightsaber activated, standing alongside him.

"Cobra, drop!" Zora shouted. Without questioning him, Cobra dropped to the ground, feeling a rush of wind over him. When he looked up he saw nothing. When he turned around, he saw Master Zora in combat with Shar.**

*Zora knew something was terribly wrong when he heard the rustling bush, but he had guessed it was a trick. His theory had been proven correct when the Force warned him to turn around, where he saw the student about to Force-push Cobra, thus warning his Padawan to drop. He was overjoyed to know that his lost Padawan had been found, but he feared that he would lose him again if they didn't get off this planet quickly. His lightsaber deflected every swing that the student's weapon made, attempting to go for his neck. Reaching his hand out, the student's lightsaber deactivated and shot into it. Now clutching both lightsabers, he leveled them at the student's torso.

"Leave. Now," he demanded. The student growled, and crawled away, his legs trembling as they ran. Then, Zora watched in shock as the student froze in his tracks and began to grab at his own neck. The student coughed and spat as his feet left the ground. He hovered in the air, gasping for breath, his face turning a terrible red. Then the student smashed sideways into a tree branch and slumped to the ground motionless. Zora felt the depressing tug in the Force as this student's presence drained away.**

*Cobra watched, his jaw wide open in terrible fear and shock at Shar's demise. He knew Darth Fissure was around, and he was very close.

"Master?" He asked. This time, Zora looked very unsure of himself.

"Stay close to me, child," he replied. He leveled his lightsaber towards the empty space where Shar's body lied motionless on the ground. A sudden tug in the Force warned Cobra that they were looking at the wrong spot. Looking up, as if on queue, his hands flicked the sword up in time for it to clash with Fissure's scarlet blade. The Sith Lord had leaped down from a tree above them. His face looked more furious than Cobra had ever seen it.

"Jedi scum," Fissure sneered. Cobra couldn't help but grin despite the circumstances.

"And do you have a problem with that, my lord?" He mocked. Fissure roared in anger and spun around, the tip of his blade heading straight for Cobra's torso. Cobra was able flick his sword down, catching the blade before it could pierce him. Fissure laughed, and spun around, deflecting a move from Zora, swinging for the head, the torso, and the neck, all of these moves Zora deflected with excellent precision. The woods echoed with the sounds of the electric clashing of the sabers. Cobra aimed for the Sith Lord's shoulders, but Fissure whirled around, his blade already up and ready, and the two blades clashed once again.

"The Jedi have poisoned you! You have neglected the power that the Force has offered you!" Fissure shrieked, his golden eyes blazing as the two of them danced with their weapons.

"Well, I guess I'll be one of those to miss out," Cobra jeered. The dance continued, Zora's and Cobra's blades repeatedly clashed with Fissure's in such quick motions.

"You cannot defeat me! I wield great power beyond your imagination!" Fissure screamed. Cobra batted his former Master's lightsaber once again.

"That power will only consume you!" He vowed. Fissure took a step back, laughing.

"I could've taught you so much more! The Jedi's teachings are all _lies_! They have not even _began _to see unlimited power!" He continued. He jumped aiming a kick to Zora's head, which caught him off guard, causing him to stagger. Fissure's hand reached out, and lightning crackled and crashed into Zora, sending him flying into a tree. Cobra gasped, but he didn't have time to see if he was okay. He aimed for Fissure's back, but the Sith Lord had twirled around once again, deflecting the deadly move. Then, with one swift motion, he leaped backwards so that he was standing next to a dazed Zora.

"No!" Cobra shouted, and he somersaulted into the air, spinning as he went, the tip of the sword heading straight for Fissure. His feet landed against the Sith Lord's torso, causing him to stagger backwards. He attempted to catch Cobra with lightning, but this time, he was prepared. His hand shot up, and it sent the energy spiraling straight back towards the Sith Lord. Fissure's hand shot up as well, catching the lightning and watching it spiral up in the air. Cobra looked next to him to see Zora back on his feet, his lightsaber in hand.

"Leave the boy alone," he demanded. Fissure, obviously outraged that a Jedi had demanded something from him, launched himself at him. Zora deflected every swing and attempt to kill him. Finally, Fissure went for Cobra, pressing his attack more and more, his intense anger and hatred making him sloppy and repetitive. Then, a bolt of Force lightning caught Cobra's wrist. He yelped in pain, dropping the sword and clutching his weakened wrist.

"You underestimate my power, boy! You still have much to learn!" He screamed. Then, he flicked his lightsaber up over his head, and as he plunged it towards him, Zora jumped in the way. The blade went through his chest and out his back. Cobra stared in horror at the tip of the blade sticking out his Master's back, which had come rather close to catching him as well. He watched in disbelief as Zora fell to his knees and then collapsed onto his face.

"No, no…" Cobra gasped. Ignoring the Sith Lord, he crouched down and turned Zora over so that his eyes were on him.

"Please, Master, don't die…" Cobra pleaded, tears plaguing his eyes and coursing down his cheeks. Zora reached a trembling hand so that it was weakly clutching Cobra's.

"My apprentice, there is no death; there is the Force. That is the last line in the Jedi Code," he managed to say. He violently coughed and gasped in pain as he struggled to say something else.

"Do not kill the Sith Lord out of anger. His overconfidence will be his downfall," he said. Then, his eyes stopped blinking, and his face turned pale. Cobra felt the terrible loss in the Force. Realizing he had no time to grieve over this just yet, he staggered to his feet and stared at the Sith Lord, who stood there with a look that made him want to slap this murderous beast.

"You killed him," Cobra said. Fissure nodded as if he was bored.

"Yes, now you see how _weak _the Jedi are. They wish to control their use of the Force. We as Sith intend to unleash everything we have, everything we learn on our enemies," he replied. Cobra clenched his hands into fists, his anger rose dangerously high.

"Ah, good, good. You are coming back to the true side of the Force. The side where all that the Force can offer as power is given to us," Fissure said in an overwhelmingly giddy tone. Cobra grinned.

"Not today, my Master," he replied. Reaching his hand out, Fissure's lightsaber came hurtling right into it.

"If you think you're so powerful, why would you need the lightsaber?" Cobra asked. Fissure grinned.

"Foolish boy, you will see why they call me _Master_," he replied. Cobra lashed out with his fist, striking the Sith Lord across the face. Fissure acted as if nothing happened, his grin grew wider and wider. Cobra pressed his attack, sending his fist up the Sith Lord's chin, and then aiming his other fist at Fissure's stomach. He didn't seem to be affected by any of it.

"It seems my training might've paid off. I congratulate you for relying on your own physical strength without a lightsaber, but you forget whom you are dealing with," Fissure said. Cobra took a few steps back, nervous. He watched his former Master step backward as well.

"Now you will witness the full power of the dark side," he crowed. Then, Cobra watched as the Sith Lord's eyes turned from a blazing gold to a blinding white that caused Cobra to shield his eyes because of the intense light. He could hear Fissure laugh.

"The Force shall free me!" He shrieked, and then, beneath Cobra's feet, he could feel the ground tremble, starting steadily, and then becoming more and more violent.

"That power will only consume you, my lord," Cobra shouted. But Fissure continued to laugh. The bright lights died down enough for Cobra to see Fissure raise his hands up towards the sky. Around the two of them, an intense wind grew that forced the trees to bow underneath its weight. Leaves and stray wood blew around them. It didn't seem to matter how many logs and bark struck Fissure, he continued laughing, ignoring the debris completely. The began to shake more and more, causing Cobra to stagger and then fall to the ground, striking his head hard on rock, and everything went black.**

*The Sith Academy on Zenga collapsed from the earthquake, crushing the Sith students and tutors that were inside, putting an end to that generation of Sith on the planet. Several Sith students and Masters that were able to flee to get to their ships, became victims of the widening gaps in the ground underneath of them, swallowing them up forever, never to come back out.**

*Cobra's eyes opened as if he had just woken up from a terrible nightmare. His hands darted to his head, feeling the throbbing pain deep in his temples. Around him, trees lied dead on the ground, its roots torn off by the earthquake. He staggered to his feet, looking around at the ruined woods. Finally, he spotted his former Master Darth Fissure crushed underneath a fallen tree. He lied there motionless, his eyes unseeing. Cobra looked around more, his eyes desperately searching for his _real _Master. The one who had trained him, lost him, and then had taken him again to be trained. His body was nowhere to be seen.**

*Fifteen Years Later…

Cobra, now known as Chris again, stood with a lightsaber in hand which was a green blade of light this time. He looked around at the younglings who were eager to begin their training. The Jedi Temple on Coruscant had been a safe haven for him for the last fifteen years. Fifteen years in the Temple allowed him to be trusted with the younglings. He could thank his old Master Zora for that, whom he had been able to speak to through the Force, and he looked forward to the day when he would join him.

"Chris," a Jedi Master named Jason said behind him. Chris turned around to face him.

"Yes?"

"May the Force be with you."

"And with you, Master."

Chris smiled and raised his own saber, ready to begin training the new generation of Jedi.**


End file.
